Torn Between Two
by Classic Movie Fan
Summary: After the curtain closes, Eliza ends up staying with Professor Higgins. However, once a month, she gets to go out with Freddy. It so happens that one night, Freddy and Eliza encounter a problem that might be too big for them to cope with... I'd appreciate it if you'd write a review! :)
1. A Most Unusual Occurence

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in this story except for Charlotte, who I created. Any others that I made up will be mentioned in future disclaimers. All other characters, such as Eliza Doolittle, Freddy Hill, or Henry Higgins do not belong to me._

* * *

It wasn't often that much happened in Miss Eliza Doolittle's life that was worth mentioning. At least, not after what happened that was openly known to the public. After that, which encompassed her lessons with Professor Henry Higgins, the Embassy Ball, running away, and then returning again, life was pretty commonplace for her. Everything that occurred happened to other people too. She ended up living at 27A Wimpole Street, with Professor Higgins. But, once a month, she got a chance to venture beyond the commonness of everyday life. For on that one day, actually, night was more of the proper word for it, she got to go with Freddy Eynsford-Hill out to wherever he wanted to bring her. On a partly cloudy summer night, something happened that normally did not happen. Something out of the ordinary. Something that the public never knew about, and, until this day, no one ever heard about it.

Freddy opened the door to the taxi for Eliza. "After you Darling," he said politely, giving a bow.

Eliza smiled at Freddy. "Thank you," she said, nimbly climbing inside. "You are such a gentleman Freddy."

Freddy followed her. "I try to be," he responded, looking away to try to hide his blush.

Looking at Freddy, Eliza realized that he had grown on her. Something about him made her feel at ease, as if everything was perfect; nothing could go wrong, or at least, so she thought. Freddy too echoed her feelings, although both were too timid to say anything to each other.

Freddy finally decided to say something to Eliza. He hadn't told her that he would have to sneak her into this 'family' party that he decided to bring her to. She'd have to pretend to be his cousin. "Eliza, there's something I have to tell you. I'm going to have to sneak you in because this is a family party and they don't exactly know about you," he said sheepishly.

Eliza giggled. "Freddy, you are always getting yourself into trouble!" she said teasingly. "But I'm sure that if anyone can sneak me in, you can!"

Freddy beamed back at her. Feeling the taxi come to a complete halt, he opened the door for her and helped her down. "Come on Eliza Darling, let's go in," he said.

Eliza nodded and followed obediently behind him. It was a fancy house they were going to, there was no doubt about it. Easily, they slipped inside without detection. As she saw the amount of people inside, she realized that if they just got lost in the crowd, no one would ever realize she was there. "So this is your big family? You weren't kidding when you told me that you had a big one," she said.

"Well, let's just say that some are close friends of the family..." Freddy said. Trying the change the subject, he added, "May I have this dance?"

"My pleasure!" Eliza instantly said.

The two danced around, as the music played. When the song stopped, Freddy looked over to his right to see a familiar face. He hadn't seen this girl in years, although, strangely enough, she seemed so familiar. "If you'll pardon me Eliza..." he said politely.

Eliza looked back and forth from Freddy to the other girl, who had to be around her age. "Okay Freddy, go ahead," she said, taking a step back. The girl was beautiful, anyone could see that from just a glance. With shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a cute smile, Eliza was sure that this newcomer would win over Freddy.

The girl looked up at Freddy and smiled. "Freddy, that has to be you! I haven't seen you in years!" she cried happily. "I thought you went somewhere, like, to another country!"

Freddy snickered. "I've been here all along. And, excuse my humor of this situation, but it seems as if you know me like you were my sister. I'm sorry to say, but I don't quite remember you very well," he said bashfully.

Giggling, the girl grabbed Freddy's hand. "It's Charlotte, remember me? And also remember...say, four or five years ago?" she asked him.

Freddy shook his head, not out of temporary memory loss, but in bewilderment. "Charlotte?! I-I-I thought that-well, never mind. But I do remember. Uh, if you'd give me a moment with Eliza here, uh, I'd appreciate it," he stuttered.

Charlotte nodded. "Anything my dear!" she said happily.

Freddy took Eliza to the side. "Eliza, this may come as a complete surprise to you, but, Charlotte over there, well, she's, well, she was going to be my wife."

* * *

 _Thank you for reading. There is more to come, as this is only Chapter One! Please keep on reading and post a review if you have the time. I'd love to hear what you think of my first fan-fiction. Thanks again!_


	2. Trial And Error

Eliza glared at Freddy. "We are SO talking about this! Follow me, we are going somewhere private," she said sternly. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him all the way into a crowded closet. "A little too close for comfort, but I can't worry about that now," she mumbled.

Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the next, Freddy looked at Eliza. He was speechless, almost afraid of saying one word, in fear of getting yelled at. But it was too late. By now, he had gone too far.

Eliza couldn't hold it in any longer. She let it out, every word uttered echoing back. "Oh, now I get it. I get it! This was your plan all along. Pull me along on a string, attach me to you, get me to love you, and then this is what happens. You drop me like I was, some soft of-of-thing that you can love one second and drop the next! You never cared. You just wanted to add me to your-your-collection!" she yelled.

Freddy took a step back, but ended up bumping into the door. "Eliza, you don't understand-" he started to say.

Shaking her head, Eliza said, "No I don't! I never got why you wanted me when you have your choice of so many other girls! Why do you want me?!"

Freddy once again started to explain. "I do love you Eliza. More than anyone else. I didn't know about her, I forgot about her, don't you see?" he stuttered.

"Yes, I see. You'll forget about me just like you did her!" Eliza shot back at him.

"No, I won't. I don't like her. It was more forced on me than anything. I mean, she's nice and all, but I don't want to marry her. You are the only girl I ever liked. I want you! And, can we go somewhere with more space...it's a bit tight in here..." he asked her.

Eliza nodded. "Let's get out of here. But don't think that I'm happy with you. Because I'm not," she said, opening the door to the closet. Once again, she grabbed a hold of Freddy's arm and tugged him along behind her. But they didn't get quite far, as someone stopped them from leaving.

"Who are you?" the older butler asked Eliza, never seeing her before, and not knowing if she was invited.

Eliza smiled her sweetest smile at him. "I'm his-" she started, pointing to Freddy, who rudely interrupted her.

Freddy cleared his throat and started talking in such a fast voice, nobody could understand him. "She's my mother's sister's husband's brother's cousin's sister's best friend," he explained.

Eliza looked up at him like he was crazy-but then again, perhaps he was. "What he said," she said.

The butler just shook his head, and motioned them out the door.

Eliza sighed as she got into the taxi. "I was just going to say I was your cousin's best friend, but you didn't have to go and make it even more confusing," she explained.

Freddy blushed. "Uh, well, I tried to think of something quickly. I take it it didn't come out right," he said sheepishly.

The taxi drove them back to Wimpole Street. The was a cold silence the whole time. Right before it even stopped, Eliza put her hand on the door of the taxi, opened it up, and got out herself, storming into the apartment.

"Darling! Don't go just yet! I thought you weren't mad at me anymore!" Freddy cried. Swiftly he followed her, sneaking into the apartment before she slammed the door. "Please, don't be cross with me. I didn't mean it, Darling. Honest and truly I didn't!"

Eliza didn't even answer him. She ran up the stairs, fighting back the stinging tears in her eyes.

Professor Higgins was secretly listening to Freddy's pleas. "What did you do this time, Prince Charming?" he mocked as he walked down the stairs. "Did you hurt Cinderella's feelings? Anyone could tell that she was crying as she ran away from you."

Freddy couldn't take teasing anymore from the Professor. Instead of taking out his frustration on Eliza, he took it out on Henry. "Don't you talk to me like that! Sure, you're older and perhaps 'wiser' than I am, but I only give respect where respect is due! You don't deserve it from me. Go ahead, take Eliza as your wife, see if she'd be happier with you. I don't want anymore of this. I'll go home and live the rest of my life there, helping my mother and finding a good paying job. Maybe, just maybe, I'd find something that would one day make me your equal. Maybe then you'd treat me kindly and with respect," he shouted. "I've tried long enough to be your friend and finally got Eliza's friendship that I've longed for ever since that day at Ascot. But you know what, this other girl-oh, I don't want to even mention her-she comes along and ruins it! The world is full of people, all out to get you and destroy you and your hopes and dreams. I won't have you destroy them also! Try, try, go ahead and try! See if I care! I'm leaving, so goodnight!" Placing his hat back on his head, he reached for the doorknob and then suddenly stopped. He sighed. "Why must I love Eliza? It's like a war going on inside me. I'm sorry," he said to Professor Higgins, turning to face him. "Those words just came out. It's not what I meant. My heart is telling me something other than what I spoke. I-I-just-will you do me a favor? Could you just tell Eliza I'm sorry? I'll have things figured out in the morning," he explained.

Henry stared at Freddy in surprise. He didn't realize that he had all that bottled up inside. He never thought that the younger man would stick up for himself like that. Truthfully, he thought he was just a lovesick boy who didn't think things through. Getting over his shock, he looked down at Freddy. "I will. Just go home and don't worry," he said, opening the door for Freddy. Shaking his head, he walked upstairs to go talk to Eliza.


	3. The First Proposal

Eliza slammed the door to her bedroom, grabbed the key, and locked it. She leaned against the door, tears rolling down her face, clutching the key so hard it made a indentation on her hand. Thankful that she could be left alone in her room, she closed her eyes, hoping things would return to normal. She never wanted to see Freddy again. Ever. She would never say another word to him. For a moment, she was happy to think that Freddy would be miserable, but after thinking about it for more than a minute, she realized that she was be just as unhappy as Freddy probably was. "Why me?" Eliza whispered quietly, in between sobs. She started walking slowly over to her bed, but then suddenly turned around, gave the door a hard pull to make sure it wouldn't open, and then turned and jumped onto her bed. She tried to block out all her feelings, but they kept haunting her, like a nightmare that keeps on reoccurring, only this wasn't a nightmare. This was real. Breathing heavily, Eliza sat up as she heard angry words downstairs, those who could only be Freddy's. She smirked, a feeling a little happier that he was upset, but still feeling the stinging pain inside. Why did he have to play that dirty trick on her? Was that his plan all along? She certainly hoped not, but now, she thought, what did it matter? What was done was done. Eliza stepped out of bed and put her head on the door. The shouting had now stopped and a sudden eerie calmness ascended over the house. Curious of what was happening, but still not wanting to venture from the safety of her room, she waited quietly and patiently. Soon, she head the front door open and shut, and not long after, footsteps coming up the stairs, coming closer and closer to her room. A sudden knocking on her door startled her and she jumped. Walking back over to look out her window, she saw the ebbing shadow of Freddy as he rounded the corner of the building.

"Eliza." Professor Higgins knocked on the door. "I need to talk with you-now," he said seriously. When she didn't open up, he knocked a second time with more force than before. "Eliza! Come here now!"

Eliza angrily unlocked and swung open her door. She glared at Professor Higgins as he walked inside. "What do you want?" she asked him.

Higgins walked over to her and awkwardly put his hand on her arm. He had changed from those days when he used to be all bark and bite, but it still felt strange to him to be that gentle. "I know something must have happened tonight and I am genuinely sorry. But you can't keep on with this and with Freddy. Eliza, I would like to ask you if you'd...er, well...would you marry me Eliza?" he asked, finding it harder than he thought it would be to ask her that question.

Although she didn't mean to, Eliza couldn't hide her surprise. That was the last question she thought he'd ever say to anyone. She knew this would be a good chance to get back at Freddy and also to marry into a richer family. But she didn't think she could ever be completely...happy. She looked up at him sweetly and smiled. "Henry, that is the nicest thing I've ever heard anyone say and the sweetest thing I've ever heard you say to me. You are very good to me. But I don't think I could marry you. It's nothing personal and please always remember that you hold a special place in my heart. No one will replace you. I owe it to you for teaching me how to speak and act properly. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be out in the streets. I'm grateful to you for a lot of things, so please, accept my 'no', but remember that I still want to be close friends with you," she explained.

Henry nodded his head. "I understand," he said quietly, although he was a little hurt that she didn't want to marry him. Then, not meeting her eyes, he added, "It's too bad about tonight. I don't think you should continue this relationship with Freddy. He seems too fickle and you do deserve better," he said, not wanting Eliza to go back to Freddy. In fact, he didn't want her to go to anyone. If he couldn't have her as a wife, he didn't want anyone to.

Eliza sighed and hung her head. "Maybe you're right. I don't think I'd like to spend the rest of my life with someone with such a capricious mood," she said sadly.

Professor Higgins hid his smile. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Freddy anymore. "Would you care for me to tell him?" he asked her as he started to walk to the door.

Eliza shook her head. "No. I think it would be better for me personally to write a letter to tell him. Thank you anyway." And so, for the next hour, she composed a long letter to Mr. Frederick Eynsford-Hill, formally telling him that she would not be seeing him again, unless in passing. And so the printed words came true. Two months passed, and neither saw the other nor wrote just to ask how things were going. It seemed as if their friendship was broken-forever.


	4. His Heart May At Least Be Healed

_Disclaimer: Once again, I shall introduce you to another main character, Dr. Grant. He is the Eynsford-Hill family doctor. All other characters (except for Charlotte) don't belong to me, as I have mentioned before._

* * *

And so two months passed. More people came into Eliza's life, and slowly, she tried to forget about Freddy. Eventually, she got over him, but still wasn't that cheerful and happy girl she used to be. In fact, she seemed to have become more grownup about everything and also more serious. Not only that, but on the outside, she had almost completely moved on from Freddy. She started to expand her circle of friends, getting to know more people her own age. Whether this was a blessing in disguise or not, she didn't know. And even though she enjoyed herself immensely at social gatherings, she couldn't help but think of how her old friend Freddy was faring.

To answer Eliza's thoughts, Freddy was, to put it simply, miserable. Over the two month interval, Freddy straightened things out with his friend Charlotte, only to find that she was just saying hello and had no interest in marrying him whatsoever. Although relieved, he came to realize that it was his own folly for telling Eliza everything that he said that night and he deeply regretted it. And now it seemed, it was too late. And so, because of his regret, he became someone unlike the Freddy he was before. It was as if he had changed his personality. Most of the day, he was found moping around in his room, hardly venturing from the house, even when he was asked to go somewhere or do something. It didn't matter if he was politely asked or if he was commanded to do so-if he didn't want to do whatever it was, he wouldn't do it. His mood changes were often: one minute he could be sweet and helpful and the next second instantly change to be irritable and unfriendly. His mood could be likened to an earthquake-unpredictable and sometimes destructive. He didn't care what he did or how his actions affected him or someone else. He was reckless and uncaring, and this affected his health greatly. He had gotten a cold during those two months and he just couldn't shake it off. Then again, his habits didn't help him either. He hardly ate anything, and when he did, it was just little amounts. Most nights were sleepless for him. Freddy, who had once been the most quintessential dignified young man, now shunned his old habits and turned for the worse. He took to roaming the streets of London late at night-even when it was chilly or if it rained-trying to find something that would make him happy once again. However, it wasn't long until he contracted viral pneumonia and soon had a high fever and a bad cough. Even then, he tried not to show how bad his cold had worsened, until one morning, he was so weak he couldn't even get out of bed. All the while, he pined for Eliza, degrading his health even more. He didn't say much when either the doctor or maids came by, but when he did talk, it was about Eliza. Of course, the maids thought that he was just saying paltry words, when actually, he was asking for her. He needed her there. Even though Freddy's condition worsened by the day, he at least would have someone to live for. Closing his eyes, he murmured, "Eliza...I need her...please..." He coughed several times and looked pitifully at the maid who was standing in the doorway. Dr. Grant soon stepped in. "Frederick, you shouldn't talk. It might worsen your condition," he explained. But Freddy continued on. "I just want Eliza. Please," he said, in between raspy breaths, "Go find her for me."

The doctor nodded and walked back over to the maid and asked her quietly to go fetch Freddy's mother. Soon, both the maid and Freddy's mother came back. "Mrs. Eynsford-Hill, do you know who 'Eliza' is? Frederick keeps on asking for her. If he doesn't recover, but we still find her and he sees her again, his heart may at least be healed," he explained.

Mrs. Eynsford-Hill, who was very much concerned with her only son and his health realized that that Eliza was what he was mumbling for the past weeks. "Yes, I do believe she lives at 27A Wimpole Street. She is a nice girl, but discontinued her friendship and relationship with Freddy. If it would please him, may you please go find her?" she pleaded.

Already starting to walk out the door, Dr. Grant smiled at her. "I'll try my very best. Keep a close eye on Frederick for me," he said, tipping his hat. He was off to find Eliza if it was the last thing he'd do. He knew it would be best for Frederick if he had a friend by his side. He only hoped that Eliza would come with him. He knew it would give the final break to Freddy's heart if she didn't want to see him again.


	5. Please Let Her Come

During the time all of the drama was occurring at Freddy's house, at Professor Higgins' and Eliza's home, there was a distinct contrasting mood. Instead of having tension in the air, as there always used to be, there was a tranquil mood. Eliza and Henry were getting along fine, except for some clashes on trivial matters. This was no surprise as even the most agreeable people have squabbles over little things. And although it seemed the two of them could hardly stand to be apart from each other, it was really Henry who seemed to follow Eliza around. Not actually follow her around-just his heart did. He finally understood that Eliza was someone worthy of his admiration and was actually his equal. She was no longer just a common flower girl, as he had looked at her a few months prior. No, now he saw that she was a proper lady, one with both outward and inward beauty. And just when Higgins thought that all traces of Freddy were gone and that he finally exterminated the mere thought of Freddy from Eliza's mind, there was a knock on his door which brought the memory of Freddy flooding back.

Mrs. Pearce walked into the room where Professor Higgins was writing the sequel to his first book, _**Higgins' Universal Alphabet**_. "Mr. Higgins, a man named Dr. Grant is waiting in the hall. He wants to talk to you," she told him.

Henry, irritated that someone had to come right then, unwillingly tore himself away from his writing. "This better be important," he grumbled to himself.

Dr. Grant was pacing back and forth, counting every second. Time was vital and he couldn't waste one precious second of it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the man he wanted to talk to appeared. "Professor Higgins, I presume?" he said, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. In his profession, he knew he had to keep calm; however, he was young and still had to master that trick.

Higgins just stared at the doctor. "Yes. What did you come for? Make it quick, I'm a very busy man," he snapped.

"Yes, I understand. I just came for someone named Miss Eliza Doolittle. Is she your niece?" the doctor asked.

Henry sighed impatiently. "No, she is not my niece. We aren't that far apart in age, you know," he said, although truthfully he was around twenty years her senior. He added, "However, Eliza is at home. What do you need her for?"

Dr. Grant bashfully smiled. "Oh, sorry for my assumption. I need to bring her with me. You see, her friend Frederick Eynsford-Hill is ill with pneumonia, and he is my patient. She is the only person that is on his mind; the only person he has to live for. If he cannot live for her, he won't live for anyone or anything. She can keep him fighting," he explained.

Higgins testily eyed the other man. It seemed a million questions were going through his mind during those few seconds. _Should he go get Eliza? Would it actually help Freddy get better? Was Freddy actually sick? If he didn't go get Eliza and Freddy died (assuming he was sick, like the doctor said), would she get over Freddy and move onto someone else-namely, himself? Would Eliza even want to go? Could she stand the sight of an ill patient? Would she be brave enough to stick with Freddy until the end?_ Just thinking of Freddy made Henry even more irritated than he already was. And this mood affected his answer. "I will **not** go get Eliza. She has better things to do than to play nurse with you," Henry said, turning around and leaving the room.

Eliza heard Henry raise his voice louder than it normally got. She walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs, curiosity getting the better of her as she saw another man in the room. Coming closer, she gave the young man a smile. "Hello," she said, "May I help you?"

"Ah, you must be Eliza! Please, come into this cab that I have waiting. It's a matter of life or death and it's all up to you!" Dr. Grant exclaimed, rushing toward the door, looking anxiously at Eliza. He pleaded silently, _Please let her come. Let her save Freddy._

Much to Dr. Grant's relief, Eliza didn't ask why she should come. She just followed him into the cab, not even telling anyone else where she was going. It wasn't until they were well on their way to Freddy's house that she decided to ask the question that was on her mind: "Whose life is in peril?"

"Freddy's." That was the only quiet response she got. Not another word was mentioned during the ride there.

Eliza took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She didn't know if this was such a good idea after all.


	6. Freddy's Visitor

Once Eliza and Dr. Grant arrived at Freddy's house, the doctor hurriedly stepped out of the cab. However, Eliza stayed in the cab. "Aren't you coming?" Dr. Grant asked.

Eliza nodded and slowly got out of the cab. "I'm coming," she said quietly. She followed after Freddy's doctor but stopped for a moment at the door. For a second, she thought she couldn't go through with this. She took a deep breath and walked in, half wishing she could turn and run away in the other direction and never look back. But this was for Freddy. Freddy, her dear friend. Well, once upon a time, a dear friend. And why would he want her to come? For all she knew, he could even have a wife by now, even if it only was two months since she last saw him! Or this could be a set up, just to get her to come to his house. Soon enough, she realized it wasn't a set up. She heard him coughing and as she got to his bedroom, she saw maids going in and out. Eliza turned toward the doctor. "Are you going to go in first?" she asked.

Dr. Grant shook his head. "I think it's best if he thinks that you came by yourself. That it was your own thought to come, if you know what I mean. Go on in," he said urging her on.

"Okay, I'm going," Eliza said, giving a quiet knock on the door before pushing it open. As she saw Freddy, weak, tired, and sick in bed, her heart went out to him. It was the same feeling a mother has when she sees her child sick and alone. Eliza walked over to him and stood above him. "Oh Freddy, I'm so sorry," she said.

Although Freddy was still sick, his eyes regained a spark of life in them. "Darling," he said, looking up at her, "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you for asking," Eliza said, "I would ask you the same question, but I can already see that you aren't well." She took some of his blankets and pulled them up farther for him. "You poor thing," she murmured.

Freddy lovingly looked at Eliza, giving her a small but weak smile. "You are just as beautiful as I remember you," he whispered, "Actually, you're prettier, if that's even possible."

Eliza blushed a little at Freddy's comment. "I just saw you two months ago," she said, brushing his hair to the side. As much as she tried to straighten it, it just kept on flopping back. She then turned and looked around his room, still quite neat and tidy. Seeing a glass of water on the table, Eliza grabbed it and silently offered it to him, which he accepted.

Freddy sighed. "Two months or two million years. What's the difference? It feels like an eternity when I can't see you," he said.

Still quiet, Eliza held the glass for Freddy as he drank it. She sat down on the edge of his bed and gave a small sigh. "Did you really miss me?" she asked him.

Nodding, Freddy didn't say another word. He just looked longingly at her. Finally, after a long minute, he asked, "Why don't you love me?"

Eliza didn't know what to say to that. She did love him, it was just that she had some feelings for Henry as well. However, those feelings weren't as strong as her love for Freddy. She felt torn between two. She wasn't about to publicly explain her love for him, especially with people listening outside the door. So instead of telling him, she decided to show him. She bent down and kissed his forehead. After that, she stood up and left the room. She'd have to tell Henry her true feelings for Freddy. Eliza just couldn't go on with this love triangle. She wanted to be loved by only one person-and that person was Freddy.

Freddy smiled his first real smile in the two months he had been away from Eliza. After all that excitement, he closed his eyes and fell asleep for a few hours.


	7. A Very Important Letter

As soon as Eliza walked out of Freddy's room, the doctor was there to greet her. "That was incredible!" Dr. Grant exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

Eliza, who didn't understand what he was talking about, just ignored the question, hoping he wouldn't ask the question again. But, just like she predicted, he did.

"So how did you get him to calm down like that?" The doctor asked again.

Eliza gave a shrug. "I really don't know how. It-it just happened...I suppose," she said, turning and smiling at him.

Dr. Grant looked at Eliza with admiration. "Miss Doolittle, it's around two o'clock and I don't have any more patients for the day..." he said, trying to figure out how to tell her what he wanted to tell her. "So...would you be interested in having a cup of tea with me at my house? That is, only if you have time for it."

Thinking about her schedule, Eliza thought that she could fit a cup of tea into her schedule. "All right. That sounds good to me," she said politely.

"Oh, and one more thing. Do you mind if I call you Eliza? If I can, you may feel free to call me John," he added.

Eliza nodded. "John, feel free to call me Eliza," she said.

And so the two went off in the cab that was still waiting for them. Little did Eliza know that at home, someone was waiting impatiently for her. But it wasn't until three o'clock that she arrived back in Wimpole Street.

"Eliza!" Henry called from the other room. "Where have you been?"

Eliza gasped and ran toward him. "I'm terribly sorry Henry. I didn't realize that I'd be that long. You see, I went to visit Freddy. He's sick and then after that John, uh, the doctor-" she started to explain. However, she never got to finish for Henry Higgins went off explaining what _he_ was doing the whole time he was waiting for her.

Henry went on and on, explaining what had happened. It was pretty boring until he handed Eliza a fancy envelope with her name written on the front. But it was opened already, which meant that Henry couldn't wait for her to read it and he went reading her mail. Eliza wished her mail wasn't delivered with his mail. But still, she got an important letter and she had to know what it was about. Without saying another word, she took the letter out of the envelope and read it. And read it again. And again. She could hardly believe what was written on it. "Do you suppose that they sent this to the wrong person?" she asked Henry.

Henry rolled his eyes. "Oh yes. They must have. They must have meant another Eliza Doolittle at another 27A Wimpole Street somewhere else in London. That makes perfect sense," he said sarcastically. It wasn't his custom to use sarcasm, but in this case, he deemed it important.

Once again, Eliza had an internal conflict. Should she be ecstatic or worried? She started to wonder if this was a secret...no, she already had one and was waiting for Freddy to get better before she got her second. How many could a young lady receive? She sighed, took the letter and envelop, and slowly walked up the stairs. She set the letter down on the small seating area to the left of her bedroom and closed the door. She needed time to think this over.

Meanwhile, the youngest maid that worked for Henry Higgins, Annie, happened to be dusting around the time that Eliza went to her bedroom. Annie was the most curious out of all the maids, and seeing the letter out in the open, just couldn't resist. She carefully took out the letter and silently read it to herself. It read:

 _Dear Miss Doolittle,_

 _This letter is here to inform you that your presence is wanted at the Savoy Hotel at 8:00 o'clock at night on Saturday the Fourth during the month of February. Please respond as quickly as possible to say if you are able to attend. Thank you for your time and consideration._

 _Sincerely,  
Prince Gregor  
_ _  
_As Annie finished reading the letter, her eyes lit up and she gasped with surprise. A letter from the Prince himself! Why, Eliza would be crazy to pass up this offer. Setting the letter down just the way she found it, she bounced off, imaging wonderful things, things that would only happen in a dream. To Eliza, this really _was_ all just a dream...but could this dream be her worst nightmare?


End file.
